The Importance of Standards

One of the conventional definitions for standard is, "used or accepted as normal". Indeed, many standards are so "normal" to most of us, that they are only noticed when they are absent - and then their absence is hard-felt.

Without standards, products would not work as expected and the quality would be inconsistent and inferior. Products would be incompatible with other equipment - for example your smart phone might be incompatible with your electrical outlet and would not work in other countries or even other parishes. In more extreme cases, products would be dangerous to your health and safety or detrimental to the environment. The International Organization for Standardization, in collaboration with the the International Electrotechnical Commission and the International Telecommunication Union held an international video contest last year, to imagine what a world without standards might look like. This is the video compilation of the entries.

Benefits of Using Standards

Standards ensure the safety, quality and reliability of products and services; they facilitate trade and protect our health and the health of the environment.

• For business, standards improve systems and processes; they reduce waste, cut costs and ensure consistency. Standards improve customer satisfaction and increase sales. They also support trade through compatibility with other markets.
• For governments, standards support the development of policy and legislation. Regulators, legislators and other government representatives refer to standards to protect users and business interest.
• For consumers, standards ensure reliability, consistency and the safety of products. Standards also ensure interoperability, for example, that your laptop works as consistently in Jamaica as it does in Canada.
• And for all of us, standards ensure safety, reliability and the protection of our health and the health of our environment.